Turntable for toy and model railroads

ABSTRACT

A turntable structure, especially for toy and model railroads, in which the turntable, with at least one set of tracks thereon, is rotatably supported by a frame and is adapted for being driven in rotation by an electric motor in the frame via a speed reducing transmission. An arresting device arrests the turntable in rotated positions wherein the set of tracks thereon align with stationary sets of tracks leading to the turntable. The arresting device operates a holding switch to keep the motor energized while the turntable moves from one position to the next. The transmission is normally disconnected from the motor and a flyweight arrangement driven by the motor connects the transmission thereto when the motor runs.

United States Patent 1 1 3,695,182 Ernst 1451 Oct. 3, 1972 TURNTABLE OR TOY AND MODEL 2,461,877 2/ 1949 Brereton 104/37 RAILROADS 2,629,336 2/1953 Seidel ..l04/38 2,823,622 2/1959 Prewitt ..l04/38 [72] Invent mgg g g gi 85 1,800,722 4/1931 Edson ..104/38 [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1970 Primary Examiner--D. W. Keen 21 App1.No.: 62,458 4" Beck [57] ABSTRACT [30] Forelgn Apphcamn Pnomy Data A turntable structure, especially for toy and model Aug. 8, 1969 Ger P 19 40 3339 railroads, in which the turntable, with at least one set of tracks thereon, is rotatably supported by a frame 52 us. c1 ..104/38, 104/35 and is adapted for being driven in rotation y an elec- 51 1m.,c|. ..B60s 13/02 motor in the frame via a Speed reducit'g transmis- [58] Field of Search.....46/2l6; 246/273; 104/35, 36, sion- An festing dev ce arrests the turntable 1n 104/37 38, 44 45 47 rotated positions wherein the set of tracks thereon align with stationary sets of tracks leading to the 56 Rf d turntable. The arresting device operates a holding 1 e m Cue switch to keep the motor energized while the turntable UNITED STATES PATENTS moves from one position to the next. The transmission is normally disconnected from the motor and a gig :2 flyweight arrangement driven by the motor connects 6 4 6 h t h th t 2,044,031 6/1936 Van Nieuwland ..104/3s the transmlsslon t ere o w en em or 1,512,640 10/ 1924 Rump ....l04/38 10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED N 3 I972 sum 1 OF 2 69 72 55 9 Fig.2

I N VEN TOR. W01 70 .57

PATENTEDUBIB I972 3.695.182

sum 2 OF 2 IN VEN TOR. W0: A? s/' The present invention relates to a turntable for toy and model railroads and, in particular, to the drive of the bridge body of such turntable.

In connection with the drive for turntables of toy and model railroads, it is known to effect the drive by means of an electric motor which is provided in the bridge and which, through a stepdown transmission and through the intervention of a gear ring provided in the bearing body of the bridge, brings about an adjustment of the bridge. In order, in this connection, to be able to stop the bridge in the respective positions in which it is precisely in alignment with the desired tracks for operative connection therewith, the rim portion of the bearing body is provided with arresting means while the bridge is provided with an engaging or arresting pin for engagement with said arresting means.

It is also known in response to the engagement of the arresting pin in any of the above mentioned arresting means to interrupt the electric circuit for the electric motor while simultaneously engaging a brake for braking the motor and thereby the transmission connected thereto to stop the bridge. Moreover, in this connection, it is necessary in the transmission to provide a friction clutch in order to prevent a jamming of the transmission during the sudden stopping of the bridge. If it is desired to adjust the bridge, the arresting pin has to be withdrawn by an electromagnet to a disengaging position.

Heretofore known turntables equipped with such electromagnetically operable arresting pin require relatively many elements and are not always reliable in operation.

The invention also relates to a turntable for toy and model railroad installations in which for driving the bridge there is provided an electric motor which is mounted therein and which through a clutch-equipped stepdown transmission and a gear ring provided in the bearing body of the turntable brings about the adjustment of the bridge.

It is an object of this invention to provide a turntable for toy and model railroad installations which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks and will be simple in construction and reliable in operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a turntable as set forth in the preceding paragraph which will make it possible by means of a pre-selecting device to have the adjustment of the bridge in conformity with a pre-selected track connection to be carried out completely automatically.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a turntable bridge with driving and arresting means according to the present invention.

FIG. 1a is a side view of spring contacts provided on the control lever of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 represents a detailed bottom view of the turntable bridge portion shown in FIG. 1 with the lower cover opened and the intermediate gears omitted.

FIG. 2a diagrammatically illustrates the centrifugal weight arrangement connected to the motor shaft.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the portion of the turntable shown in FIG. 2 while the corresponding portion of the bearing body for the bridge is shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the driving wheel or drive operatively connected to the arresting cam.

FIG. 5 is a cutout of the central portion of the hearing body with current supply lines as seen from the bottom.

FIG. 6 shows the same cutout of the central portion of the bearing body as seen from the top.

The turntable for toy and model railroad installations according to the invention with an electric motor provided in the bridge of the turntable, which motor through a clutch-equipped stepdown transmission drives a gear meshing with a gear ring in the bearing body of the turntable, while arresting means are provided for arresting the turntable in alignment with the selected track, is characterized primarily in that the shaft pertaining to the gear meshing with the gear ring of the bearing body has keyed thereto a cam which is provided with at least one arresting notch while the distance from one arresting position to the next arresting position corresponds to the angular distance between two track connections and rests on the cam path of the arresting cam of a spring loaded control member while to the control member there is connected a holding contact by means of which after a rotary movement of the gear has been initiated, the driving motor is kept under voltage and in responce to the engagement of the arresting notch by the arresting cam is turned off.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is suggested to mount on the motor shaft a flywheel system by means of which the driving connection between motor and driving gear will be engaged when the motor is turned on and will be disengaged when the motor is turned off.

According to a further feature of the invention, the motor shaft is provided with a worm meshing with a worm wheel of the adjacent drive while means are provided for causing the worm wheel to engage the worm while the motor shaft is running and to disengage said worm wheel from the worm when the motor speed drops.

A particularly simple design of the clutch is obtained if the bearing which is adjacent the worm wheel and pertains to the intermediate drive adjacent the worm will, by means of a spring loaded lever keep the worm wheel in disengaged position and by means of the flywheel arrangement move the worm wheel into its engaged position. The control member for arresting the driving gear and provided with an arresting cam is preferably designed as a lever which is spring-urged by a strong spring and has connected thereto an arresting pin which rests on the cam path connected to the driving gear and at the end of a control movement engages the arresting means.

It has proved advantageous to connect a relatively long contact spring to said lever so that the engagement and disengagement or turning on and off of the driving motor is effected over a relatively large adjusting stroke. This lever may furthermore have connected thereto a second contact which is made effective sim ultaneously with the motor contact and which serves for sending a corresponding signal to a control panel to indicate the effected adjustment of the arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the arrangement shown therein comprises a dish-shaped bearing body 1 for the turntable which preferably forms a single piece of any suitable synthetic material and which at its rim is provided with a step having arranged thereon a rail 2 (FIG. 3), which rail is formed together in one piece, for instance, by extrusion molding with said dishshaped bearing body I. Said rail 2 serves for the outer support of the bridge. The lower cylindrical surface of this step is nearly over its entire height filled by a gear ring 3 which is likewise extrusion molded onto the member 1. The bridge body 4, which consists substantially of an extrusion molded body, has a bottom plate 5 screwed thereon which in the center portion of the bridge is equipped with a pivot 6 (FIG. 3) having its upper end provided with a notch 7. The pivot 6 extends downwardly through a round opening 6 (FIG. 6) beyond the bottom side of the bearing body 1 and is fixed to the bottom of the bearing body 1 by means of a spring plate 8 (FIG. 5) which is adapted to be slipped onto said pin, said plate 8 having a slot 8'. The bottom side of the bridge near its two ends is provided with bearings 9 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which are extrusion molded onto the bridge body 4 and in which rollers 10 are rotatably joumalled for rolling on rails 2. At both ends of the bridge body 4 there are provided insulating members 11 to which profiled members 14 of spring sheet metal are connected by means of a screw 12 and a pin 13. The members 14 are provided with angled-off resilient tongues 15 which, in a non-illustrated manner, serve for establishing a current connection with current feeding means or track connections. Each member 14 has two additional tongues 15 which rest on contacts (not shown in the drawings) that are electrically connected to the two rails 16 of the bridge. The arrangement shown in the drawing furthermore comprises a cab 17 in which a small incandescent lamp may be arranged. The turntable is equipped with a track connecting segment 18 which is shown in FIG. 3 in side view.

For purposes of journalling the entire driving mechanism, there is provided on one hand a metal plate 19 which is inserted into the bridge body 4 and is held thereon. This plate 19 has pillars 20 connected thereto to which the above mentioned bottom plate is detachably connected by means of screws 21. The drive motor 22 is supported between angled-off ears arranged on plate 19 or plate 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Only FIG. 2 shows the ears 23 and 24 on plate 19. Motor 22 has two current connections which, through the intervention of small coils 26 provided with ferrite cores 25, lead to an insulating body 27 in which two spring loaded contact pins 28, 29 are provided. Between said connections or lines equipped with contact pins 28, 29 for the electric motor there is provided a condenser 30 which, together with the coils 26, serves for shielding the motor 22. The insulating body 27 has an additional spring-loaded contact pin 31 the connecting line for which, as will be explained further below, serves .for conveying a signal to indicate the effected adjusting movement.

The three resilient contact pins 28, 29 and 31 each slide on one of the three contact paths 32, 33 and 34 which are tapped (FIGS. 5 and 6) at the bottom of the bearing body 1 in the vicinity of the bore 6'. Three insulated conductors 35, 36 and 37 are by soldering respectively connected to said contact paths 32, 33 and 34, said conductors 35, 36 and 37 leading to a non-IL lustrated operating device. A fourth insulated conduc tor 38 has its end soldered to the spring plate 8 which, through pin 6, establishes a connection to the mass of the driving device. The spring plate 8 is guided between extensions 39 on the bottom of the bearing body 1. The angled-off pins 32, 33' and 34' (FIG. 5) of the contact paths 32, 33 and 34 are located in depressions 40 of the bearing body 1.

For purposes of driving the bridge 4 through the electric motor 22 there are provided the following elements: Arranged adjacent the gear ring 3 and between the plates 19 and 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3) there is located a drive preferably a particularly strong synthetic material, the shaft 41 of which is preferably designed of steel and by means of a gear 42 is in driving connection with the inner teeth 13 of the bearing body 1. Connected to and forming one piece with said gear 42 is a larger gear 43 which meshes with the teeth of a smaller gear 44, the shaft 45 of which has keyed thereto a larger gear 46 meshing with the teeth of a smaller gear 47. Gear 47 together with a worm wheel 49 is-keyed to shaft'48. Worm wheel 49 meshes with worm 40 on motor shaft 41 when operative engagement is established (FIG. 1). As will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, between worm 50 of motor shaft 51 on one hand and the gear 42 meshing with gear ring 3, there is provided a high stepdown.

For purposes of engaging and disengaging motor 22 with and from said stepdown transmission, there are provided the following devices: Pivotally journalled on plate 19 by means of a hollow rivet 52 is a two-arm lever 53, 54 the left lever arm 53 of which has its end provided with a slot 55 (FIG. 2) extending over an arced gap 56 in plate 19. Between slot 55 in lever arm 53 and gap 56 in plate 19, there is joumalled that end of shaft 48 which is adjacent to the worm wheel 49. This journalling is normally effected in such a way that the worm wheel 49 is disengaging the worm 50 (FIG. 2). This is realized by the fact that the right-hand lever arm 54 of the lever 53, 54 by means of an car 57 angled-ofi by 90 engages the end face of a flyweight system connected to the motor shaft. The said righthand lever arm 54 is, in its FIG. 2 position, held by means of a slightly preloaded tension spring which is connected to hook 58 on plate 19 and to an eye 59 on lever arm 54. The second bearing for shaft 48 is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate 5.

As is diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 2a, the flyweight arrangement comprises a housing 61 placed on the motor shaft 51 and preferably consisting of synthetic material, in which housing two flyweights 62, for instance of die cast zinc, are pivotally outwardly when said shaft rotates while a pin 63 coaxially arranged with regard to the motor shaft is adjusted outwardly by means of said pin 63 and while the motor is running, the lever 53, 54 is, through the car 57 and against the pull of spring 60, so adjusted that as illustrated in FIG. 1 the worm wheel 49 meshes with the worm 50. When the motor is turned off, and thus with the motor turned off, the motor armature is disengaged from the stepdown transmission. This engagement and disengagement has no adverse effect upon the mesh between the pinion 47 and the gear 46.

For precisely fixing the position of the bridge with regard to the track connections, there are furthermore provided the following devices: Forming one-piece with the gear 42 and the gear wheel 43 there is provided a cam 64 on the same shaft 41 which cam according to the specific showing is designed so as to form a mirror image (FIG. 2), said cam 64 being provided with two arresting notches 65 for engagement with the pin 66 of a control lever 67 whereby the gear 42 will be arrested in a precisely fixed position. The control lever 67 is pivotally mounted on a pivot 68 on plate 19. Between a hook 69 on plate 19 and a hook 70 on the control lever 67 there is suspended a strong preloaded tension spring 71 which holds the pin 66 against the cam 64 and thus in response to the engagement of the pin 66 with the arresting notch 65 will hold the gear 42 in its respective rotated position with regard to the bridge. As a result thereof, also the bridge 4 will be held in a play-free manner in its relative position to the bearing body 1 while the teeth of gear 42 mesh with the teeth of gear ring 3 in a practically play-free manner.

Riveted to an angled-off ear 72 of the control lever 67 are contact springs which consist of a one-piece sheet metal part while a somewhat longer arm 73 will, in response to a pivoting movement of the control lever 67, engage the contact 74 on the motor while simultaneously a somewhat shorter contact arm 75 will engage the stationary contact 76 connected to the insulating body 27.

It may be mentioned that the number of teeth of the gear ring 3 and the gear wheel 42 have to be so selected that with one-half revolution of the gear 42 the bridge 4 will be adjusted precisely by the distance between two adjacent track connections. Moreover, it is necessary that when inserting the bridge into the bearing body, attention be paid to the fact that with the arresting position of the cam 64 shown in FIG. 2, the gear 42 will be inserted into the teeth of the gear ring 3 in such a manner that the bridge will be precisely aligned with one of the track connections placed upon the rim of the bearing body. It may also bementioned that the said motor contact 74 is electrically conductively connected to the pole 36 of the two current feeding lines 35, 36 of the motor and that the fixed contact 76 cooperating with the contact springs 75 is electrically conductively connected to the return signalling line 37 through the intervention of the contact pin 31 and the contact path 34.

The operation of the driving device according to the invention is as follows: The voltage pole 35 is permanently connected to the lower motor contact, and the voltage pole 36 leads to the upper motor contact and the mentioned contact 74 while in the non-illustrated operating device, said voltage pole 36 is selectively adapted to be placed under voltage. Pole 38 leads on one hand to the mass of the bridge and on the other hand to the same voltage pole to which pole 36 may selectively be connected. The return signalling line for conveying a signal to the operating device is designated with the reference numeral 37. If now the motor with any polarity receives a direct current voltage through both poles or conductors 35, 36, said motor will start rotation while the flyweight arrangement 61 to 63 establishes a mechanical engagement between the work 50 and the worm wheel 49. The gear drive 42, 43 will thus be rotated so that by means of the cam 64 the control lever 67 will be adjusted in counter-clockwise direction. When the contact 73 engages the motor contact 74 so that also when conductor 36 receives no voltage, the initiated control movement will be continued until the pin 66 has engaged the other notch 65 of the cam 64. As a result thereof, the drive is disconnected again while the worm wheel 49 disengages the worm 50. Simultaneously with, or a brief time period after, the contact spring 73 has engaged the motor contact 74, also the contact spring will engage the contact arm 76. Thus, through conductor 37 the effected adjusting movement is signalled to the operating devices. The return signalling device may be used for controlling an indicating device or may be used together with a suitable preselector device to check the automatic adjustment of the bridge for a preselected position.

The driving device according to the invention and described above also makes it possible for very small tracks, for instance a 9 millimeter track, to provide a space saving and operationally safe turntable. Thus, it is possible, for instance, with a selected bridge diameter of millimeters to reduce the distance between two track connections to 12 millimeter so that the turntable can be provided at its circumference with 48 track connections. Thus, a great number of locomotive sheds may be connected to the turntable according to the invention. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a great number of track connections adjacent to the turntable.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings and arrangements set forth in the preceding specification but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A miniature turntable structure, especially for toy and model railroads, comprising: a frame, a bridge rotatably supported by said frame and having a set of tracks thereon adapted to register with stationary sets of track sections distributed circumferentially on the frame about the bridge, a ring gear on the frame, a drive gear in the bridge meshing with said ring gear, an electric motor carried by said bridge, a speed reducing transmission carried by the bridge and leading from the motor to said drive gear, cam means fixed to said drive gear and having at least one notch means formed thereon, a control member movably mounted on the bridge for accuracy having pin means thereon to engage said notch means and spring biased toward said cam means, means for initiating a supply of energy to said motor, normally open holding switch means in circuit with said motor and operated into closed condition by said control member when said cam means rotates and displaces said pin from said notch means so as to maintain said supply of energy to said motor until said pin again engages a said notch means, the circumferential spacing of said notch means arresting said bridge in successive positions wherein the set of tracks thereon align with successive ones of said of stationary sets of track sections on said frame.

2. A turntable structure according to claim 1 in which said motor has an output gear and said transmission has an input gear adapted to mesh with said output gear and normally disengaged therefrom, and flyweight means driven by said motor and operatively connected to said input and output gears and operable only at a predetermined speed of said motor for moving said input and output gears relatively into mesh.

3. A turntable structure according to claim 2 in which the said output gear is a worm and the said input gear is a worm wheel.

4. A turntable structure according to claim 3 which includes a lever pivotally supported by said bridge frame and supporting said worm wheel, a spring con nected between said lever and said bridge and biasing said lever in a direction to disengage said worm wheel from said worm, said flyweight means acting on said lever in opposition to said spring.

5. A turntable structure according to claim 4 in which said notch means in said cam comprises peripheral notch means and said control member is in the form of an arm pivotally supported by said bridge and a spring connected between said arm and said bridge and pressing said pin against the periphery of said cam.

6. A turntable structure according to claim 5 in which the notch means in said cam comprises two diametrically opposed notches, the cam on one side of the diameter joining said notches being the mirror image of the cam on the other side of the said diameter.

7. A turntable structure according to claim 6 in which said holding switch means includes a contact finger on said arm and mounted thereon in spaced relation to the pivotal support of the arm on the bridge so as to take a substantial movement when said pin is displaced from said notch means, said holding switch means also including a stationary contact on said bridge positioned to be engaged by said contact finger when said pin is displaced from said notch means.

8. A turntable structure according to claim 7 which includes a second contact finger mounted on said arm to be moved thereby and a contact element on the bridge adapted for engagement by said second contact finger at an instant no earlier than the instant of engagement of the contact finger of said holding switch with the said stationary contact pertaining thereto, said second contact finger and contact element being adapted for connection in circuit with an electrically operable signalling device.

9. A turntable structure according to claim 8 in which said notch means has inclined sides and the spring acting on said arm is of such strength as to force said pin to the bottom of said notch means when said input gear of said transmission is disengaged from said output gear of said motor while said pin engages an inclined side of said notch means.

10. A turntable structure according to claim 1 in which said frame includes annular conductive contact paths thereon adapted for connection to components external of said turntable structure including a source of electrical energy, said bridge including contact members engaging said contact path and adapted for connection to electrical components on said bridge. 

1. A miniature turntable structure, especially for toy and model railroads, comprising: a frame, a bridge rotatably supported by said frame and having a set of tracks thereon adapted to register with stationary sets of track sections distributed circumferentially on the frame about the bridge, a ring gear on the frame, a drive gear in the bridge meshing with said ring gear, an electric motor carried by said bridge, a speed reducing transmission carried by the bridge and leading from the motor to said drive gear, cam means fixed to said drive gear and having at least one notch means formed thereon, a control member movably mounted on the bridge for accuracy having pin means thereon to engage said notch means and spring biased toward said cam means, means for initiating a supply of energy to said motor, normally open holding switch means in circuit with said motor and operated into closed condition by said control member when said cam means rotates and displaces said pin from said notch means so as to maintain said supply of energy to said motor until said pin again engages a said notch means, the circumferential spacing of said notch means arresting said bridge in successive positions wherein the set of tracks thereon align with successive ones of said of stationary sets of track sections on said frame.
 2. A turntable structure according to claim 1 in which said motor has an output gear and said transmission has an input gear adapted to mesh with said output gear and normally disengaged therefrom, and flyweight means driven by said motor and operatively connected to said input and output gears and operable only at a predetermined speed of said motor for moving said input and output gears relatively into mesh.
 3. A turntable structure according to claim 2 in which the said output gear is a worm and the said input gear is a worm wheel.
 4. A turntable structure according to claim 3 which includes a lever pivotally supported by said bridge frame and supporting said worm wheel, a spring connected between said lever and said bridge and biasing said lever in a direction to disengage said worm wheel from said worm, said flyweight means acting on said lever in opposition to said spring.
 5. A turntable structure according to claim 4 in which said notch means in said cam comprises peripheral notch means and said control member is in the form of an arm pivotally supported by said bridge and a spring connected between said arm and said bridge and pressing said pin against the periphery of said cam.
 6. A turntable structure according to claim 5 in which the notch means in said cam comprises two diametrically opposed notches, the cam on one side of the diameter joining said notches being the mirror image of the cam on the other side of the said diameter.
 7. A turntable structure according to claim 6 in which said holding switch means includes a contact finger on said arm and mounted thereon in spaced relation to the pivotal support of the arm on the bridge so as to take a substantial movement when said pin is displaced from said notch means, said holding switch means also including a stationary contact on said bridge positioned to be engaged by said contact finger when said pin is displaced from said notch means.
 8. A turntable structure according to claim 7 which includes a second contact finger mounted on said arm to be moved thereby and a contact element on the bridge adapted for engagement by said second contact finger at an instant no earlier than the instant of engagement of the contact finger of said holding switch with the said stationary contact pertaining thereto, said second contact finger and contact element being adapted for connection in circuit with an electrically operable signalling device.
 9. A turntable structure according to claim 8 in which said notch means has inclined sides and the spring acting on said arm is of such strength as to force said pin to the bottom of said notch means when saId input gear of said transmission is disengaged from said output gear of said motor while said pin engages an inclined side of said notch means.
 10. A turntable structure according to claim 1 in which said frame includes annular conductive contact paths thereon adapted for connection to components external of said turntable structure including a source of electrical energy, said bridge including contact members engaging said contact path and adapted for connection to electrical components on said bridge. 